


House Call

by zams



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Criminal Minds Kink Meme, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-09
Updated: 2012-12-09
Packaged: 2017-11-20 17:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/587921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zams/pseuds/zams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Morgan stays at work late to keep Reid company while he's catching up on paperwork, and an accidentally stapled thumb is the catalyst for a long-coming change in their relationship.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	House Call

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 7th Criminal Minds Kink Meme in May 2012 for [this prompt](http://ansera.livejournal.com/57116.html?thread=3014428#t3014428). This version is edited and retitled.
> 
> Thank you to **Taylor** and **Alissa** for betaing!

On Friday, Reid chooses to stay later at work to get ahead on his paperwork, and Derek tells him that he’ll stay and keep him company before Derek can remember why it’s a bad idea. And the small, pleased smile Reid gives him means that Derek can't suddenly remember he promised a friend dinner.

After an hour or so of both of them working quietly, Derek's already hyper-aware of Reid close to him. His thoughts start to wander, not an uncommon occurrence these days whenever Derek’s with Reid. He’s pretty sure that Reid’s noticed Derek paying him more attention, casually touching him more often, not making so many jokes about Reid’s random fact lectures, even using his pet names more often. Reid hasn’t said anything about it the change in Derek’s attitude, though, and Derek’s hasn’t either because he hasn’t decided what he wants to do about his evolving feelings. At times, Derek feels like they've been moving toward something very much beyond friendship since they met, and that scares and thrills Derek in equal measures.

When his eyes keep coming back to Reid, Derek decides he needs a sugar boost, before Reid notices Derek's staring at him. Unsurprisingly, Reid doesn’t want anything, and when Derek gets back to the bullpen from the vending machines, back in control, the first thing he notices is Reid. He’s still at his desk, but instead of working he’s sucking on the tip of his thumb, the expression on his face stuck somewhere between a scowl and a pout.

For his own good, Derek should just ignore what Reid’s doing and go back to his desk, but instead he changes course and walks over to Reid, putting his soda and chips on his desk as he passes it. “What’re ya doing, kid?”

Reid sighs, taking his thumb out of his mouth. “I accidentally stapled my thumb.”

“You stapled your thumb?” Derek repeats, raising an eyebrow. He tries not to laugh, but he must not hide his amusement well enough. 

“Yes,” Reid answers shortly, looking away from Derek and back down at his desk.

Derek doesn’t take Reid’s sharp tone personally and he looks at Reid’s hand, his thumb flushed pink and still faintly wet with Reid’s saliva. Again, Derek's thoughts wander, but instead of feeling confusion and apprehension at the prospect of deepening his relationship with Reid, Derek just thinks _Why not?_ Right now, in this moment, all his doubts and insecurities fade away and it seems obvious: Derek _wants_ to explore the depth of his feelings, wants to know if Reid could feel the same, wants to see if they could make a relationship work.

They've always been good together as friends, and as Derek finally lets himself really think about the possibilities, it seems natural to assume that they would be good as more too. There's always a risk, but Derek decides it's not enough to deter him from exploring his feelings for Reid, not when the potential is so much greater. And so Derek finds himself reaching out and taking Reid’s ‘injured’ hand lightly in his own, taking that first small step over the line. 

Reid jerks – he’s not a big fan of touching hands, after all, not even with the team when it’s unexpected – but he doesn’t pull his hand away. “Morgan?” he just asks, curious. “What are you doing?”

Derek sees Reid looking at him inquisitively in his peripheral vision, but he keeps his eyes on Reid’s hurt thumb. He slowly brings Reid’s hand closer, up to his face, right in front of his mouth. He’s sure Reid is confused as hell by what Derek’s doing and Derek didn’t plan on letting Reid know this way, but it feels like the right thing to do. 

“Does it still hurt?” he asks softly, stroking over Reid’s thumb with his finger. He glances up at Reid and has to hold back a smile when he sees Reid staring at him dumbfounded. It’s not often that anyone renders Reid speechless.

“ _Does it still hurt?_ ” Reid finally manages. “A little, but Morgan-”

Reid’s words abruptly cut off when Derek kisses his thumb, right over the two faint puncture marks from the staple. Derek’s infinitely grateful that it’s Friday afternoon because that means most everyone’s gone home by five. There are a couple people still here, but they’re on the other side of the room and absorbed in their work. They’re not paying Reid and him any attention.

Derek keeps the kiss simple and light, affectionate, and he doesn’t use tongue, even though he’s tempted to steal a taste. “I’ll kiss it better,” he murmurs against Reid’s skin, and Reid sucks in a breath. Gathering courage because Reid still hasn’t pulled away, Derek brushes one, two, three more kisses over Reid’s thumb and then leans back, setting Reid’s hand back down on his desk.

Reid’s left wide-eyed, his lips parted in shock. Unblinking, he stares at Derek for several moments before he shakes his head minutely and looks down at his hand that’s now innocently lying on his desk, cocking his head to the side as he considers it.

Derek watches him silently, wondering what’s going on in Reid’s mind. What is he going to say, what is he going to ask? Is he going to demand an explanation? Or get angry? How will Reid react if Derek tells him that he’s wanted to get closer for a while, but didn't know if taking the chance was the right thing to do? And that he just saw Reid’s thumb, wet and pink from being in his mouth, and felt the overwhelming urge to kiss it, soothe the tiny pain and feel Reid’s skin against his lips?

When Reid finally looks back up at him, he has his ‘I’m thinking hard about something right now’ expression firmly in place. “You…” – he swallows – “kissed my thumb.”

Some of the tension leaves Derek then. Reid still sounds confused, puzzled, but he doesn’t sound put off by what he just said – he actually sounds _pleased_ , if Derek’s not being too hopeful – and Derek takes that as a sign to move forward. He wasn’t sure that Reid would be interested in deepening their relationship like Derek is, or at least ready to admit it and act on it, but it seems like Derek’s spontaneous move was a good idea.

Leaning closer to Reid, he smiles and says, “I did.”

There’s a beat of silence and then: “Why?”

Derek shakes his head fondly at Reid’s blunt question. “I think you can figure it out, Genius,” he teases, increasingly sure that this isn’t going to blow up in his face.

Reid licks his lips, and oh, it definitely seems like this is going to turn out well. Derek’s transfixed by the sight of Reid’s pink tongue slipping out and he wants to lean forward and take Reid’s mouth in a deep kiss. Unfortunately, now’s not the right time, but with any luck, it will be soon. He forces his gaze back up to Reid’s eyes, and he amends his previous thought: it’ll be very soon, if Derek’s not imagining the want he reads in Reid’s expression.

Reid blows out a breath, hand moving restlessly on the desk, as if he wants to touch something. He tilts his head up, moving his body nearer to him. “Morgan…”

The way Reid says his name - soft, full of longing – goes right through Derek and he wants to hear it again and again, but… “No,” he says quietly. “Think about it. And then… and then let me know if your thumb’s still hurting later. I make house calls.”

He wants to stay, to pull the lip Reid has trapped beneath his teeth free and find out how Reid tastes, but he forces himself to go back to his desk and gather the paperwork he didn’t finish. If they’re going to take this step, they have to be certain. Derek’s sure, he knows what he wants and it’s Reid, but he has to give Reid time to sort out his own feelings now. Rushing would only ruin their friendship beyond repair.

He doesn’t look at Reid again because he might not be able to leave if he does, and he’s out the door in two minutes, feeling the weight of Reid’s stare on his back with every step.

+++

Later – after he’s cooked a dinner too big and too complex for one person, scrubbed and sanitized his bathroom, worked out until he was dripping sweat and taken a shower all in an effort to distract himself – his cell phone finally rings when he’s about to alphabetize his movie collection, loud and shrill in the silent living room.

When he slides it out of his pocket and sees Reid’s name flashing on the screen, the relief that goes through him is swift and sharp. “Reid?” 

“Morgan. My, um, my thumb still hurts,” Reid says haltingly. “Is… is it too late to ask for a house call?”

A huge grin spreads across Derek’s face at hearing Reid’s cautiously hopeful question. “No,” he says. “No, it’s not too late.” 

He doesn’t care if Reid can hear how eager he is; this is what he’s been waiting for and there’s no need to try to ‘play it cool’ with Reid; they’re too close for that. It’s only been a few hours since he asked Reid to think about it, but Reid wouldn’t have called if he weren’t sure of what he wants – he’s not prone to rash decisions. Reid called, and that means he's ready to take the same step toward something more that Derek is. There’s nothing stopping Derek now from making that house call.

“So about that house call…” Reid says, trailing off. 

Derek’s face hurts from smiling so wide; Reid sounds just as eager as he is. Derek can imagine him nibbling on his lip and ducking his head, hiding behind his hair, feeling a little embarrassed by his eagerness. But Derek just finds it endearing and so _Reid_ , and he’s already up and moving to get his keys when he answers. “I’ll be over in twenty.”

**END**


End file.
